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DELICIOUS FOOD IN…CALIFORNIA ∼ USA ♥

It’s been 2 weeks that we came back from our marvelous trip to the States! A fabulous holiday in California, Nevada and Utah. Before we left I was a bit nervous as I wasn’t sure I had gestational diabetes or not. My first though was, oh no diabetes in America. How am I going to eat there?? So I did some research on the internet. I wanted to be prepared when we were staying in Santa Barbara and San Francisco. So I just entered healthy food / healthy restaurants in those cities and printed out some options. 1 day before leaving I was told I don’t have gestational diabetes, but I just needed to be careful with sugar. Well that was one big relief, I can tell you that.
Being in California, most of the time I was able to eat at home as we were staying at my cousin’s place and so I could eat healthy anyway. When eating out in restaurants I had done my research, so I was ready to go. When I was in the USA 4 years ago I gained 8.8 pounds in 2,5 weeks!!! That wasn’t an option this time. Being pregnant I really didn’t want to gain that much. I still have a good 3 months to go you know…
so we diced to do it differently this time. And we did. Guess what? It wasn’t that difficult at all. You have plenty of options to eat delicious and healthy!! Of course, we did eat a hamburger (or 2 😉 ) and had some crazy good desserts as well. But I only gained 3,3 pounds this time and it was all the little boy inside of me growing. So I practically didn’t gain anything. And I sure did enjoy lots of good places and lots of good food!! Below a few of my tips (healthy and not really healthy) when going on a road trip to California!! Hope you enjoy 😀

Ruby’s Shake Shack ∼ Newport Coast (Crystal Cove State Park)Healthy? Nope, not really.. 😉This place is well known by the locals and has a splendid view on the ocean. It’s known for their delicious milkshakes (not healthy but extremely good!) and award-winning burgers. We had lunch here after a beautiful hike at Crystal Cove State Park. I got the grilled chicken salad sandwich. Lots of chicken salad, lots of taste…very good!Mexican dinner at a friend’s place in Orange County (CA)Healthy? Yes, all fresh ingredients and you can make it exactly how you like itIf you have the change to eat at home with locals you must definitely do it. In Southern California lots of people are experts in Mexican food…and guess what? I looooove Mexican food. These friends had practically every fruit and vegetable growing in their garden and the homemade tacos we had for dinner with all fresh ingredients were just heaven!!The Natural Cafe ∼ Santa Barbara (CA)Healthy? Oh yes!Such a great healthy hotspot in downtown Santa Barbara. Delicious and healthy food and a lovely interior. This is a must go…either for lunch or dinner! I got the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich with Fresh natural chicken tenders brushed with teriyaki sauce, served with melted jack cheese, garlic mayo, lettuce, sprouts and tomato on 9-grain bread. Sadly I did take out the lettuce and sprouts (due to my pregnancy). But for non-pregnants also the salads are a real recommendation!Nine Fine Irishmen in New York-New York Hotel/Casino ∼ Las Vegas (NV)Healthy? Not really, but still very goodOk Las Vegas is no California, but still, lots of tourists visit Las Vegas during their road trip in California. You have sooooo much choice in Las Vegas that it becomes difficult to choose to be honest. I can recommend this Irish pub for dinner! Besides a very tasty Fish & Chips it also fun to enjoy the live Irish music and tap dance!!Zinc Cafe & Market ∼ Laguna Beach (CA)Healthy? YessssA healthy hotspot in downtown Laguna Beach with a lovely garden setting. Perfect for vegetarians and non-vegetarians! I had the sandwich called Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with gruyère cheese, pickles, marinated onions and tomato, served with whole grain mustard and arugula. Loved it!!The Filling Station Cafe ∼ Orange (CA)Healthy? Sort of…if you don’t eat the fries..oh and dessert 😉A lovely cafe very known in the area. Especially for their breakfast. However, I was there for dinner and enjoyed a delicious Veggie burger with avocado, caramelized onions, tomato and grilled eggplant. Really good!!Home made dinner by my love at my cousin’s home ∼ Yorba Linda (CA)Healthy? Definitely!My cousin made some really terrific dinners with Mexican food but I forgot to make photos…oops! As we were able to cook at home also my love made a wonderful Italian dinner. Again I have no photos of it. However the last day of our stay he made a tasty salad with hard boiled eggs, tuna and tomato. And e few slices of whole grain bread with a pesto of sundered tomatoes, black olives and anchovies. I loved it! Obviously a bit of mixed fresh fruit for dessert. California has delicious juicy fruits!!Inn-N-Out ∼ everywhere in California!Healthy? Nooooo, but you can’t not go to Inn-N-Out!Pregnant or not, you can not miss out on a yummy real American hamburger when being in The States. So of course you go to Inn-N-Out!! Their motto? “Quality you can taste”…they don’t freeze, pre-package or over-process. And yes I find Inn-N-Out burgers and fries really YUMMY!!!Oh and maybe good to tell that I have been drinking ONLY water in the States… it helps a lot to keep your weight under control!!